Some of Us Are Looking At the Stars
by AgentSmudge
Summary: REVISED! G1 Universe: A retelling of Starscream's origin story, with slight AU events leading up to canon. Covers his past with Skyfire, How his spark became immortal, and how he joined up with Megatron, and later met Windblade. Rated T for violence and gore. Some chapters rated M, I will warn beforehand.
1. Chapter 1

**OKAY SO, this is the 3rd time I've revised this crap fic. I've been working on it since like 2010 and yea h**

 **"We're all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars" -Oscar Wilde**

* * *

Starscream was never one to give up on anything. He was always filled with determination that everyone else could only dream of. That was what he was known for, essentially being too stubborn.

But one day he gave up on trying to be himself. When he witnessed another seeker's death, he was reminded that the seekers were manufactured for whatever purpose their creators wanted. They were merely machines, void of emotion. No one but him reacted to his old trinemate's sudden death. It created a twisted feeling in his spark. It separated him apart from the others.

But Starscream knew he was destined to be who _he_ wanted to be, not how someone else wanted him to be. He realized that long before the others. He was the odd one.

Then he got into Iacon Academy. His days there were harsh and extremely difficult for him to deal with. Everyone on Cybertron knew seekers weren't supposed to attend classes, it was a ridiculous concept. It was even rare for regular fliers to get in, much less a seeker. How Starscream did it was a mystery.

The only one Starscream had beside him during those days was Skywarp, until he met another mech.

Skyfire.

Soon after that however, Skywarp left the planet to join the guard and Thundercracker move halfway across the planet. Starscream drifted away from social interactions as he buried himself in scientific research. He wasn't heard from again in a long time.

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER ONE**_

Skyfire tried again and again to contact Starscream. All efforts failed.

The seeker sat at his study, his chin resting on his hands as he propped himself up. He had a look of pure determination on his face as he stared at the information displayed to him by his data pad. His optics locked on his phone as he heard the vibrating noise. He knew it was Skyfire calling him again, but he ignored it. He couldn't talk to him. He couldn't talk to anyone anymore. Just being away from everyone for so long created anxiety within him which made it difficult to converse with anyone now.

Skyfire opted to leave Starscream alone. He attended classes and went with his friends, wondering when Starscream would contact him again. He always carried his phone with him, hoping he would hear something from the seeker.

After nine months, Skyfire stopped sneaking his phone into class. He made some good friends in his class, but they rarely talked outside of the Academy. He wasn't interested in having a new best friend. He patiently waited for Starscream to return.

Months turned into years. The day that Skywarp and TC left was the last day Skyfire ever heard from Starscream again.

That was until six years later. Skyfire's cell rang as he was writing. The ring startled him and he hesitantly reached for it. He picked it up to check the caller ID.

It was him. It was Starscream.

Skyfire answered his phone immediately and it seemed that Starscream wanted to meet up with him. The seeker forgot to give a location, but Skyfire had a slim idea where his friend was regardless.

The shuttle landed just outside an old apartment complex that had seen better days. It was rusted and seemed to have lost its color. Skyfire only hoped that Starscream didn't match his dwelling. Without the apartment keepers best renter, he ran himself out of business trying to jack prices up. Within months, the complex was abandoned. Skyfire had a hunch that his friend would have returned to occupy the empty space.

He made his way up to the door that was labeled with '117'. _If Starscream was anywhere, he would be here._ Skyfire smile to himself, remembering Tennessine as his friend's favorite element. Why was it Tennessine? Skyfire would never be able to tell you.

He opened the door and saw that the inside was actually cleaner than the outside. He didn't say anything until he got up the stairs to Starscream's old room.

"Hello? 'Screamer?" He called. As he rounded the corner, a familiar red, white, and blue seeker turned to greet him.

"Skyfire! It's good to see you again." He shook his friend's hand. Skyfire observed Starscream and noticed that he was perfectly fine. He worried for nothing. Glancing around, he saw that Starscream had posters displaying different galaxies and planets. They littered the walls. Almost as if the seeker had been planning something for six years. Skyfire frowned.

"I see you've been busy with…" He didn't know what Starscream was doing, but it looked unhealthy. As if this is what he was obsessing with for so many years. It looked well thought out though. Impressive even.

"Aeronautics and interplanetary travel," The seeker finished for him as he paced beside a wall covered in charts and directions, "I've studied the terrain and make up of a planet that caught my eye a while ago."

Skyfire could only stare as he examined the map. It looked to be a layout of a galaxy he had never seen before, but then he read the title out loud,

" _The Milky Way Galaxy_ ," A memory clicked, "Starscream, we talked about this years ago." He reminded his friend. Starscream waved him off,

"Yes, yes, I know. We researched Earth to the best of our ability that year."

"Yes…" Skyfire's voice held confusion. He watched the seeker sit down and turn on a data pad. He remembered that was the year of the incident with Thundercracker leaving his brothers. They had cut their study short that day and never looked back.

"I've been researching that new element that you had mentioned so long ago." Suddenly, the data pad lit up and displayed a holographic projection in front of the two fliers. Skyfire sat down across from Starscream and leaned forward. The seeker used his digits to input a password, bringing up more coordinates.

"I have written down everything that is needed to make a trip to Earth, stay a few days, and come back. Before classes start up again of course."

"You're asking me to come with you then?" Skyfire inquired. Starscream steepled his digits.

"Yes, I am asking you to come with me," He stood up from his seat and put his servos behind his back, "I know I haven't been...fair," He paused, "But I know I need someone to accompany me on this trip. I can't go alone."

Skyfire sighed and sat back in his chair. He closed his optics for a moment to think. Starscream turned around after he didn't hear a response.

"What, are you recharging?" He snorted. Skyfire sat back up and rolled his optics.

"If you must know, I'm contemplating."

"What could you possibly be contemplating? You're the one who wanted to go all those years ago." He reminded. The shuttle let out a sigh.

" _Starscream,_ " He began, "You have basically been missing off the face of Cybertron for _six years_ and now you want to travel to another planet to disappear again?" His voice was laced with concern and annoyance. Why did his friend want to leave so suddenly and so badly? Skyfire wasn't notified of Starscream's actions prior to their meeting, so what did the seeker want exactly?

"I-" Starscream paused for a moment to think of a way to explain things. Skyfire crossed his servos and waited. He was tired of trying to read Starscream. He wanted straight answers.

"Skywarp has been hurt." Ah. There it was. Starscream didn't want to sugar coat it anymore, apparently.

"Hurt? Isn't he with the Elite Guard? Very rarely is anyone injured in that squad." Skyfire observed from the past. They seemed like capable fighters?

"It seems that during their last mission to Moon Base I, there was a critical station error. Fuel tanks exploded or something, but he's okay. He's stable.. for now." Was his lazy explanation.

"For now…" Skyfire repeated, "What does this have to do with going to Earth?" He was impatient now and urged Starscream to give answers.

"I studied the healing properties of the element we observed on Earth. Skywarp's injuries are life threatening and untreatable. I'm thinking that perhaps the element could help. There is a possibility it could be used to heal Cybertronians, but I'm not positive…" His voice trailed off as he sat in his chair spinning. He suddenly stopped however, and faced Skyfire,

"That's where you come in. I need someone to help me make the journey to Earth." The seeker held a servo in front of Skyfire, "And not just as transportation, but as a friend."

"Deal?" A small smile formed on Starscream's face. Skyfire was hesitant, but sighed and shook his servo.

"Deal."

"Perfect!" The seeker jumped from his chair. Skyfire said nothing as he watched Starscream grab papers, notebooks, tools, and other things. He didn't know how long his friend had been planning this trip for. He didn't know how long it's been since Skywarp had been hurt either. He just didn't know how long the seeker had been _alone_.

As Starscream prepared, Skyfire let him know that he was going to the Academy to pick up a few things for himself. He kept extensive research of the element from before, but still he had no idea what the element was capable of.


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

Skyfire walked the halls of the Academy, making his way to section A. He had switched from living in an apartment to living in a dorm so it would be easier to attend classes. He unlocked the room with his keycard and found a certain tri-colored seeker staring at the ceiling from his bed.

"Starscream! How did you get in here?" But Skyfire's question was answered once he realized the window was open. Why would he bother locking the windows? He lived on the 6th floor.

"I took the liberty of meeting you here instead of waiting back at my place. I was already done by the time I saw you walking in the building." Starscream didn't even look at Skyfire as he explained. He just stared at the star decals on the ceiling. He reached a servo towards them, unable to reach them,

"These are nice, yanno." He commented. The shuttle shook his helm and decided to ignore Starscream. He needed to grab his things.

About twenty cycles later, they both heard a knock on the door. Starscream's optics widened, but Skyfire only groaned. He had forgotten that Perceptor, his professor, was scheduled to meet him today.

"Slag." He cursed, but composed himself before answering the door.

"Perceptor, sir. It's nice to see you." Skyfire greeted him with an entirely different demeanor than from seconds earlier. Once Starscream saw who it was, he turned his attention back to the stars on the ceiling.

"And it is nice to see you and…" Perceptor paused, waiting for Starscream to introduce himself. However, the seeker showed to be utterly uninterested and bored.

"His name is Starscream. He's my colleague." Skyfire cut in. Perceptor nodded and started chatting with Skyfire.

Starscream lied on his back, hands under his helm. He eventually had realized that the stars on the ceiling were a map of their solar system. Nothing was labeled, but he knew enough about astrology to guess which planets and stars were what.

He eventually heard the door shut and turned his helm towards Skyfire.

"What's that thing?"

"Journalism project. I'm working to get accepted into _The Cybertron Times_." He explained. Skyfire set the stack of papers down on his desk and stretched.

"Soooo," He drawled, "I need to get some minor upgrades before we travel."

Starscream raised an optic ridge and let out a long sigh in annoyance. Wasting time was the last thing he wanted to do right now. Skyfire inspected the seeker and noticed that he probably wasn't build for space anymore than he was.

"You should get some aeronautical enhancements as well. It would help."

"No thanks." Starscream closed his optics, lying on Skyfire's bed in content. Skyfire suddenly realized that he didn't see a bed in Starscream's apartment earlier. He wondered...

"Starscream?"

"Hmmm?"

"How much recharge have you had lately?" The question didn't seem to affect the seeker. He lied motionless when he answered.

"I dunno. Not enough." His optics were still closed, but a small smirk grew on his face. Skyfire knew he wouldn't get anymore out of his friend, so he decided to drop it. He figured he'd let Starscream recharge on his bed that night while he pulled out a spare bed from the closet for himself. He didn't see why the seeker had to return back to his apartment when they were already packed at his dorm.

Skyfire lied down on the spare bed and stared up at the stars on his ceiling. They were indeed 'nice' as Starscream mentioned earlier. He couldn't help but wonder what they would find on Earth. It was a planet almost entirely untouched by Cybertronians and therefore held many secrets. Secrets that Skyfire wanted to know.

The sky was black when the shuttle looked out the window. No _real_ stars to look at. There was too much smog and other pollutants in the atmosphere for anyone to get a clear view. He hoped that by tomorrow, he would be able to see the stars closer than he ever could before. Neither he nor Starscream had ever left the planet.

Skyfire closed his optics and let out a content sigh as he drifted into recharge.


	3. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

Skyfire woke up to the sound of his TV. He rolled over and saw that Starscream was sitting on the edge of the bed switching through channels. Skyfire's optics widened as he suddenly realized something.

"Dude! How the slag did you get that to work? My TV's been broken for months." He scooted next to Starscream, staring in wonder.

"Well for one," Starscream began, "You had the input set wrong."

"That would explain it." He facepalmed.

After they got up and gathered the rest of Skyfire's belongings, they flew to Iacon's laboratory. Skyfire knew in order for him to achieve space travel, he would need a few upgrades. He urged Starscream to upgrade too, but the seeker didn't seem concerned. Skyfire's only explanation was that perhaps Starscream had upgraded for space flight during the time in which he disappeared. He didn't recall seekers being an exception to the laws of Cybertronian biology. No one was created with the ability for extensive space travel, they only upgraded later in life to achieve such. Since Skyfire was a shuttle to begin with, he had some advantage, but could only travel a short distance.

When they arrived at the lab, it was empty. Beakers were still out on the tables and books were still opened. Skyfire noted that everyone must have been on break.

"Let's get what we need and then leave." He nervously suggested. He didn't want to be snooping around where he wasn't invited to. He figured he would have asked the scientists if they could help with his upgrades, but since none were present, he wanted to leave.

" _You're_ the one who wanted to get upgrades. You're bigger than me and you think traveling to another planet is gonna affect you? Also, since when _can't_ shuttles travel through space?"

"We know _very little_ about this planet, Starscream!" His whisper was harsh. Starscream drawled out a sigh and jumped onto a desk to sit down. Even sitting on the desk, Starscream still couldn't reach optic level with the shuttle.

"We don't know what's on it. Maybe the core is blistering. I'd rather not melt, thank you." Skyfire continued.

"Fine. Hurry up, get what you need and be done." Starscream was losing patience.

Skyfire stepped into a glass cylinder and set the keypad. He input a code that would induce a chemical bath that would coat his frame in a weather resistant material. However, the spray stopped at the second coat. Skyfire checked the intake meter.

"Hmmm. I think it's out."

"So what? You were coated once, let's go already."

"But, Starscream-"

"You are a _space_ shuttle, also now coated in a layer of weather resistance." He hoped he made his point.

"I suppose you're right," Skyfire began, "but I'm worried about you. Aren't you going to get some upgrades?"

"I already constructed a null ray. It renders technology temporarily useless and destroys organic lives. So if we meet an unfriendly local on Earth, we won't need to worry." Starscream held up his arm to display the null ray. Skyfire had seen the schematics of it in Starscream's room from beforehand.

The shuttle just shrugged in response. He knew Starscream probably wouldn't change his mind.

They both left the lab as they found it and quietly opened the window to escape. After traveling back to Skyfire's dorm, they picked out the things they absolutely needed apart from the junk.

Starscream looked up at the sky. Skyfire stopped packing and glanced at the seeker. He didn't say anything, but he tried to read what Starscream was thinking about.

"Alright, let's go." Starscream transformed and jetted off. Skyfire fumbled the last of his belongings before he shoved them in his subspace and transformed. He knew he was a bit slower than the seeker, but he noticed that Starscream tried to keep a steady pace beside him anyway.

After a few cycles, they finally entered Cybertron's exosphere. Skyfire mentally said goodbye to the planet. He didn't care if it seemed childish, he knew he would get homesick. Despite the new places he and Starscream could discover, he'd like to return to what he called home.

Hours passed as they flew through the emptiness. They didn't stop. Both flies stared in wonder at the stars and planets surrounding them. Pictures didn't do outer space justice in the slightest. Surprisingly, the stars didn't block their vision that much. The light only slightly reflected off of their Cybertronian optics.

After they got far enough from the planet, both fliers turned on autopilot and entered stasis. The pathway they mapped out would guide them through space without worry.

Skyfire suddenly switched online and pinged Starscream to do the same.

Skyfire noted that he was low on fuel. It had been about seven months since they had left. Starscream acknowledged Skyfire's fuel level and lead them both to a moon orbiting a planet so they could land and refuel.

"So if we leveled out our rations accordingly, we can use about 2 cubes during our flight, right?"

"Yes, Skyfire. But if you need to use some of my energon, that's fine too. I know shuttles need more fuel than seekers do."

"Thanks, I'll hold you to that offer." He smirked. Starscream rolled his optics and walked off. Skyfire guessed that Starscream didn't need to refuel so soon, but he was curious as to where the seeker was going. The moon seemed pretty dead to him, and therefore, uninterested him. He couldn't wait to get to Earth., for Skywarp's sake and for the sake of science.

A few cycles later, Skyfire was ready to get going, so he called Starscream over.

"You wanna leave yet?"

"Soon, hang on." Was the reply.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Starscream. I didn't realize how attached you were to this moon." The shuttle taunted. Starscream turned around and began to walk back.

"I am not _attached_ , I am _observing_ this rock." He tried to explain, but Skyfire shook his head. Starscream was a nerd, but he wouldn't say that to the seeker's face.

"Well, let's go then" He prompted. Once again, Starscream launched off the rock in record time, leaving Skyfire to transform after him.

Many more months later, a large planet came into view. The scanner readings confirmed it as Earth. The fliers boosted faster out of excitement and restlessness. Skyfire couldn't wait to touch ground once again. It was rare for either fliers to take flight for over a few days straight, and it resulted in both mechs wanting to power down to rest.

They landed in an ice canyon, next to the planet's ocean. It was more frigid than they had both anticipated, but they began to set up a small camp regardless.

"I'm going to find a spot to put the solar panels while you pitch the tent. Is that alright with you?" Starscream asked.

"Fine with me." Skyfire began, "But don't get lost, I swear to primus…"

Starscream gave him a smile, a thumbs up, and flew off towards the snowy mountains.

He observed the terrain to be rigid and completely frozen. The land was almost desolate, but he spotted a few deer and birds hiding within the few trees. He wasn't quite in the flat, arctic tundra, but more the mountainous, alpine tundra. His jets echoed off of the mountains as he weaved between the high tops. After a brief scan of the area, he chose to land next to a crevice in the ice. The entire platform he was standing on was ice and snow.

"Alright, seems to be solid enough." He stated. He stomped his foot a few times just to make sure.

In his subspace pocket, he pulled out a metal plate and set it aside as he grabbed a stand. He put together the electrical components and then opened the folds in the metal plate. It spread open about six times it's length it was before. Starscream stood back and admired how the solar panel stood atop the mountain nicely. He stared at the mountainside for a moment and sat down. The sun was starting to disappear behind it. Making a pillow out of a rock and packed snow, he leaned against it and closed his optics. It had been a long time since life had been this peaceful for him. He let himself fall into recharge.

A few hours later, a noise from the behind him took him back to his senses. He heard a loud wind up noise from the direction where he came from. When he turned to look, he saw in the far distance a tall grey cloud billowing up and turning black. His scanners told him it was 36 miles away. Just as far as their camp was.

Without wasting a second, Starscream transformed and darted towards the cloud. It turned red and orange, taking on the appearance of a volcanic eruption. Starscream knew it wasn't an eruption though.

He slowed in his alt-mode when the alpine forest became more dense. He cursed as he hit a wayward branch. He wanted to get back to camp and he wanted to get there fast.

When he got a closer view, he noticed the animals were scurrying away from the fire. He didn't care that he almost stepped on one when he landed next to the burning tent. He quickly glanced around to find his friend.

"Skyfire! Where are you?!" He shouted. The flames were drowning out any surrounding noise and muffled Starscream's cries.

"Skyfire! Are you here? Sky-" He choked on ash and began to cough. The fire was too big for him to be that close to the source. He wheezed and fell to his knees, grasping his throat in pain. He looked up from the ground and only saw black smoke surrounding him. He started to crawl towards the tent and saw one of the power generators still burning.

His optics widened as he realized what caused the explosion. The generator takes fuel from natural sources. Skyfire must have hooked up one of the small oil drills to a deposit deep in the planet. However, the pipe must have broke and the pressure of the oil shot upwards to the surface. Starscream still didn't know how it ignited though.

He fell into a coughing fit again before he could come up with answers. The fire was too close for comfort and Starscream couldn't crawl any further. He realized that he had trapped himself by moving away from the open, because now the fire had traveled with him.

"Sky…" It sounded more like a plea for help than it did as a means to locate his friend. With a final ragged intake, Starscream collapsed onto the hard ice and blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER FOUR**_

Starscream onlined his optics and saw the bright sun shining in his face. He definitely prefered looking at that than the black smoke he remembered seeing earlier. He blinked a few times and sat up. His side and wing hurt, but he didn't seem to harbor any other major injuries.

As he was looking over his side, his audios came online and registered a small crackling noise. Fresh memories from the earlier ordeal made him snap his helm towards the source. He calmed when he saw Skyfire tending to a small campfire.

"Starscream," He leaned down next to the seeker, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I-" Starscream stopped, trying to collect his thoughts. His friend nodded in understanding and reached over to hand Starscream a reflective metal slate. The seeker stared at his reflection. His left side from his shoulder to his hip was charred and black. The paint was chipping away and was stained. He frowned when he saw his left wing patched up with a thin metal plate soldered on. It would act as a bandage until the self repair systems kicked in.

"I found you next to the power supply. You weren't in good shape…" Skyfire explained.

"I see…" Starscream replied. He stood up and stretched as far as his wounded frame would let him. Skyfire stood up as well.

"Everything's gone."

Starscream stared at him. The shuttle shook his helm.

"I couldn't find anything left to salvage after I rescued you." He finished. Starscream nodded once and turned his attention to the trees next to them. He started to walk, taking care where he put his feet, and Skyfire followed.

"I'm guessing you have some kind of plan?" Skyfire was a little frightened, which was understandable. They lost their camp, the only supplies they had to survive on the planet. It seemed as though Starscream didn't share the same feeling.

"I don't have a plan, but," He stopped with his servos on his hips and looked up beyond the treetops, "I think I can make one up along the way."

Skyfire let out a sigh, but smiled after. He was pretty confident in Starscream's survival abilities at this point and he didn't doubt they would get off this planet. It would only take time.

A few hours later of trudging through the snow, the two scientist came across what appeared to be a hot spring. The water steamed and both fliers sat down next to it, taking in the warmth. Even after only a few hour trek, the frozen weather was clinging to their frames.

"Starscream?"

"Yes?" The seeker's optics were closed as he lied next to the spring.

"Do you think you can fly yet? I see a cave not too far from here that could be a shelter for the night." Skyfire finished. Starscream sat up and inspected the hole in the mountain a few miles from their location.

"As much as I'd love to, I'm not so sure…" He trailed off, thinking of the multiple outcomes of that scenario. It was almost dusk and the air was growing colder. Starscream realized that if they didn't fly to the cave, they would have to walk at least 20 miles. The biome was too treacherous to even take that chance. The condensation on their frames would freeze them solid before dawn would even start to show.

If he did decide to try to fly, he wasn't positive his wing would hold out. There was still a nasty burn marked right through his left wing. He couldn't fly with a gaping hole in it, could he? He wanted to believe he could, but logic suggested against that.

Starscream had another thought. Skyfire was built for transportation, but did he have enough fuel to make that trip with the excess weight? They didn't have a camp anymore and they were left without a way to process energon. Skyfire could make it without him, he knew that, but _would_ the shuttle do it?

Starscream was sure that he wouldn't. Now he was even more sure that they would die if he didn't do something. That realization snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Sky?"

"Yes?

"We won't make it if we don't fly." He stated. Skyfire casted a glare at the seeker.

"I'm not leaving you here." He argued. Starscream stood up and suppressed a cough. He could still feel the soot from the fire trying to clog his intakes.

"I knew you wouldn't." The seeker gave a sad smile, but then frowned. Skyfire noticed Starscream's face was full of sorrow and stood up as well. Realizing that Skyfire saw only one option left, Starscream decided to follow the shuttle. It was dark by the time they began to journey to the cave.

The harsh wind beat against their servos covering their faces as they made their way to the cave. Being smaller and lighter, Starscream walked behind Skyfire so the wind wouldn't knock him down. It had only been three hours since they had left the hot spring and the weather didn't seem to let up. It was harder to navigate in the dark, so the two Cybertronians used their GPS systems for navigation. Skyfire kept tripping over rocks, ice, and whatever else was buried under the soft snow, causing him to occasionally bump into the seeker.

::This is insane!:: Starscream switched to using his comm link. The wind was blowing furiously. It was almost impossible to hear anything else outside from internal communications.

::H-how are you holding up?:: The seeker asked when Skyfire didn't say anything.

::Me? What about you?:: Was Skyfire's reply. He turned slightly to look at Starscream. His friend was hugging himself with his helm facing towards the ground, but he kept walking.

::I'm f-fine. A little cold, nothing more.:: Starscream didn't sound convincing at all. Skyfire frowned. He put a servo on the seeker's shoulder and stopped him.

::You're not fine. You're shivering too much and I can see ice coating your frame.:: Skyfire's voice was harsh, a tone Starscream rarely heard from the shuttle. A quick gust of wind almost blew the two mechs over. Skyfire grabbed Starscream and held him into a hug. He visually and electronically looked around for any kind of cover from the storm. His scanner told him that there was a crevice in the ground a few yards from them, so he picked up Starscream and walked.

::S-Sky...s'okay, I can walk on my own…:: Skyfire noted that the seeker's voice sounded very tired. He didn't reply to Starscream and just kept walking. He couldn't see the frown that his friend was giving him, but Starscream said nothing else.

The crevice in the ice seemed to be the remnants of a cave. The entrance was smaller than Skyfire initially thought, but some of the ice broke away to make room. He set Starscream down in the cave and sat beside him.

Skyfire observed that Starscream fell into recharge and he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, so he did a system scan. His internal functions weren't one-hundred percent, but they were sufficient enough to keep him going for a while longer.

The cave provided wind cover, but the freezing temperature still gnawed at their frames. Skyfire wasn't a mech who would say "I told you so", but he couldn't help but remember that Starscream didn't get upgrades before they left. The seeker had merely shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

Skyfire frowned and leaned back against the icy wall. He saw Starscream move a little, but realized that his friend was just dreaming.

He wondered when the storm would let up so that he could bring Starscream to the cave on the mountain. His scannings told him that the other cave was far deeper and had some trees around the outside of it. That could only mean that the temperature was warmer there, and if it was warmer, Starscream could thaw out.

He decided to get up and peek outside the cave entrance when he noticed the slow decline in wind strength. The bright, white light from the sun reflecting off the snow shone in his face. When his optics adjusted, he saw that the storm had calmed significantly. He saw the mountains ahead and some of the trees.

"Starscream." He lightly shook the seeker's uncharred shoulder. Starscream abruptly opened his optics and tried to sit up. Although his wing had felt better, his entire left side ached and felt bruised. He winced in pain as he tried to stand.

"Hey, let me help." Skyfire grabbed his servo and carefully lifted him into a standing position. Starscream kept his hold on Skyfire and glanced at the cave entrance.

"Is this the cave?" He asked. Skyfire helped him walk out.

"No, this was an emergency stop. The cave," He pointed towards the direction of the mountain, "Is over there, about 8 miles left to go."

"Then we should get moving. I'd rather not wait and get stuck in another storm."

Skyfire nodded in agreement and they both set off.


	5. Chapter 5

**_CHAPTER FIVE_**

It was late afternoon when they finished climbing and finally reached the mountain cave. It was wet and they could see rock instead of ice as the floor.

"Well," Starscream began, "This isn't too bad." His thoughts weren't the same though. His scanner told him that the temperature was only about 10 degrees higher than below in the frozen valley. He did notice however, that his armor plating was thawing and his movements weren't so stiff anymore.

Skyfire sat down and let out a long, half-content sigh. He sat and watched Starscream observe the cave, picking at little plants, kicking up some rocks, and chipping away icicles. He smiled and once he was sure the seeker wasn't about to leave the cave, he closed his optics.

Starscream noticed Skyfire was trying to recharge, so he took quieter steps around the cave. He realized that his friend was probably emotionally and physically drained from the storm incident. He felt tired as well, but took up the responsibility to keep lookout for any more surprises.

Once he was bored with snooping around, he sat on the edge of the cave entrance and let his legs dangle over the edge of the cliff. The sun was setting over the flat horizon, casting an orange color onto the snow in the valley below. Starscream watched the shadows of the rocks and ice move when the sun sank lower. He remembered doing this earlier, before the fire at the camp. Watching the sunset, feeling content. He frowned and the memory of the incident made him remembered that his intakes weren't doing so well. He tried to conceal and forget the slight pain when he took in air so he wouldn't cause Skyfire any worry. He noted that some of his other systems weren't doing well either. Truthfully, he wasn't sure that he was going to make it back to Cybertron.

A noise from behind him, back in the cave, shook him from his thoughts. Skyfire was awake and he sat down next to Starscream on the edge of the cave.

"This planet may be treacherous and quite hostile at times, but I can't help but love part of it when I see it's sun set like this. Cybertron doesn't have anything like this." Skyfire just looked at his friend. The seeker always found a way to look on the bright side of things. He was tough. Tougher than any other mechs that Skyfire knew.

But he wasn't an idiot. He saw Starscream struggling to breathe, struggling to stand, or to walk. He knew something was wrong with him, but there was little that Skyfire could do. His own internal systems flashed warnings at him and told him that there was more damage than he initially thought. One thing that concerned Skyfire more than anything was that he was running out of fuel. He only had 6% of energon left. Not enough to fly back to Cybertron and definitely not enough to carry Starscream if it came to it.

He came back to reality when he felt something on his arm. Starscream had fallen asleep on him, not even making a sound. Skyfire's spark momentarily filled with anxiety when the seeker began to slip, leaning towards the cliff drop down below. He grabbed Starscream and brought him away from the edge and into the cave more.

"Primus, Starscream…" He breathed. He put his servo around the seeker's frame and watched the rest of the sun disappear over the horizon. Shortly after that, he fell into recharge as well.

Skyfire woke up with a face full of snow. His helm was leaning out of the cave entrance and some snow from above has fallen right onto him. He quickly sat up and brushed it off, trying to stay warm. He heard a snicker from the side of the cave and saw Starscream standing with a servo over his mouth.

"Hah! I'm sorry," The seeker kept suppressing a laugh, "I really am, but I honestly didn't see that coming."

Skyfire stood up and brushed the rest of the snow off. He cast a questioning glance at his friend, who only burst out laughing in reply.

"I swear, I didn't plan anything! You were, haha! You were leaning out, and, and-" His explanation was cut short when he started coughing. He held a digit up as if to say, "hang on" to Skyfire. His breathing sounded wrong when he took air in. Skyfire winced, as Starscream coughed one last, long cough.

"Starscream, are you…"

"I'm fine!" His tone was harsh and Skyfire stepped back. He knew Starscream was having a hard time, so he felt it best to give him space. However, Starscream took his friend's gesture as though he was afraid of him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout…" He apologized. Skyfire nodded and decided it best to change the subject.

"It looks pretty early in the morning, do you want to leave now?" The shuttle questioned.

"We need a plan. We need energon. Once that's taken care of, we can sort out what we'll do from there."

"Agreed, but I do not possess anything that can convert energy anymore." Skyfire explained. He didn't know if Starscream had any kind of converter on himself though. Perhaps his friend kept one of the small converters they used on some of their energy studies back at the academy.

He needed energon soon and he wasn't about to tell Starscream what his levels were at. He was curious to know what his friend's energon levels were at too, but he knew if he asked, Starscream would reciprocate the question. Unfortunately, Starscream's mind was on energon as well.

"What are your levels at?" He questioned. Skyfire sighed.

"6%, almost 5% now." The shuttle didn't want to lie, seeing how dangerous their situation was. Starscream nodded and looked to be contemplating for a moment. Skyfire sat down on a rock and waited. The seeker snapped his digits and spoke louder than necessary.

"I think I have an idea!" He began as Skyfire stood back up and stretched. Starscream continued once he had the shuttle's attention.

"Before certain...events happened, I placed a solar converter on a mountain top."

"Well that's- that's great! Where are the coordinates?" Skyfire was eager to know and genuinely surprised they had some good news. He could see his friend accessing the coordinates from his internal systems, but then he froze.

Starscream was about to speak, but his face fell into a look of concern. Skyfire was concerned now as well and waved a servo in front of the seeker.

"Starscream?" He prodded.

"The solar converter…" Starscream trailed off. Skyfire was worried now.

"Star. Tell me where it is." He commanded. Starscream went to sit down on the same rock Skyfire had sat on earlier. He buried his face in his servos and didn't move. _Alright,_ Skyfire thought, _bad news._

"Starscream, where is the solar converter? Where's the mountain?" He was leaning down to Starscream's optic level so he could talk to him. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the seeker's optics brimmed with tears, but Starscream didn't cry. Not anymore.

Skyfire waited for his friend to collect himself, but he was growing very concerned. Finally, the seeker stood up, sniffled a bit, coughed, and cleared his intakes.

"You won't make it." He stated. Skyfire blinked.

"Starscream?"

"You only have what, 5% left? The solar converter is 67 miles away. Even if you could fly, you still wouldn't have enough fuel to get there." Starscream was stating the facts and Skyfire knew they were true.

"You're in no condition to travel either." He wasn't just jibing at him, he was concerned about Starscream. He noticed the small pauses when Starscream tried to take deep breaths, or the energy he put into suppressing coughs. He was trying to hide it from Skyfire.

"I'm not concerned about myself. I can manage. I'm worried about you." There was a deafening silence between them. Neither looked at each other, but looked at the snow that lay ahead. Finally, Skyfire spoke.

"Then go."

"W-what?" Starscream sputtered, confused as to what the shuttle was implying..

"Go to the mountain and convert some energon to bring back."

"Are you suicidal? It could take me days to reach it!" Starscream wasn't angry with Skyfire, but with the idea that Skyfire thought he would leave him.

"If I stay here and don't move, I'll be okay." Skyfire was trying to reassure his friend that he would be alright, but even he himself doubted that. He just needed Starscream to leave without him. To safely get to Cybertron. He already decided that only Starscream would have a chance in making it back to their home. The problem was convincing the seeker to do it.

"Listen to me," He looked right into Starscream's optics, "You need to leave now and come back for me later. I'm serious about this." But his voice was wavering as he tried to keep up the brave act for his friend. Starscream choked on a sob, but no tears fell. Instead, he was sent into a coughing fit and Skyfire pulled him into one last hug.

"There's still some daylight, you need to go now."

"Okay…" His voice was barely audible, Skyfire almost didn't hear it. He let go of Starscream and said one more thing before the seeker went off.

"Goodbye, Starscream."

"Goodbye, Skyfire…"


	6. Chapter 6

**_CHAPTER SIX_**

Starscream had been walking for hours now. It was still cold and there was ice forming on his frame again. He couldn't dry off after he left the wet cave because the air wasn't warm enough. If he stood out in the weak sun, the condensation would only freeze instead. He felt his wing starting to ache again, but kept his pace across the icy desert.

All he could see was snow and ice for miles. He kept the mountain's coordinates in the back of his mind, but his scanner didn't even reach far enough to pinpoint where the solar panel was on the mountain. At the moment, he could only guess.

It was still bright out, but he calculated only an hour or so left on sunlight. The sunset disguised the harsh, freezing night with a beautiful display of orange and red streaks across the sky. Then he would go back to freezing again without Skyfire to help him keep warm.

He kept the same pace, but his thoughts turned to Skyfire. His only friend. Starscream had once looked up to Thundercracker long ago and then to Skyfire. The space shuttle believed in Starscream. He helped him with projects at the academy and stood by his side not just as a colleague, but as a friend. His best friend. Perhaps Starscream took that for granted sometimes, but he genuinely appreciated Skyfire.

As he walked however, his thoughts became darker. He wondered what would happen if he didn't make it back to Skyfire in time. He had only traveled 14 miles since he left the cave that afternoon.

He quickened his pace.

At dusk, the wind blew harsh again. Without Skyfire there to help shield him, the wind shot against Starscream's wings like bullets. He did his best to bend them as far back as they would position themselves, but naturally they faced outwards, not backwards. The pain was especially unbearable on his left wing. Even though the hole in it had healed, it was still damaged and the sensors were singed.

He collapsed onto his knees when he tripped over the piling snow. It just kept coming. The snow was threatening to bury him alive if he didn't get up and move. He attempted to lift his helm, but the force of the wind was too strong. He shielded his face with his servos and eventually got up. The wind started to scream, so he turned off his audio receptors to lessen the noise. Everything was too much and Starscream wished that he could just lie down and recharge. He truly did contemplate falling asleep, but the thought of Skyfire in the back of his mind kept him awake.

He only walked a few steps before he collapsed again, face first into the snow this time. His wing twitched in annoyance and he brushed the fresh snow off his face. His servos were freezing at this point and he had a difficult time moving them. The water from the cave got in the cracks of his hands and expanded as ice. He tried crunching his digits to get the ice to break, but it hurt too much.

Starscream leaned on his servos and knees, letting the wind beat on his frame. The sky was pitch black and void of life, he felt as though his body mimicked it.

"I-I can't…" His voice sounded worn and more damaged than before. He was hurting from the frozen snow beating on his face and it was slowly freezing over. Finally, in a last attempt to move, he started crawling through the deep snow. He had to use all his strength to go forward.

"Sky...f-fire-" He tried to call out to his friend, but his vocals were shutting down, as well as the rest of his frame. He leaned on his elbows and just stared at the white all around him. A never ending, freezing desolation.

The snow and ice were too much and Starscream found himself closing his optics. He was blind and deaf when he blacked out, buried in the cold snow.

Starscream woke up and saw a bright light. He would have thought it was death had it not been that he could still feel the cold through his circuits. He ached all over, but he stood up. Glancing around, he noticed that a lot of the snow had melted and the ground was permafrost and ice again. He wondered how the sun could melt so much snow so quickly, but questioning such a thing distracted him from his objective.

"I h-have to-" He paused, clearing his intakes, "I have to find... the mountain…" He spoke to no one in particular. His servos rested on his knees as he attempted to keep his balance. The wind was gone, but he still felt as if he were about to collapse. His internal systems felt shot as well. The soot from the fire at the camp was still lingering in his intakes. He almost wondered if his whole frame was corrupted by it, but concluded that such a thing would be unlikely. After extensive judgment, Starscream decided it would be best to sit down and take a break. He slowly made his way to a rock and slid against it. He ignored the pain in his wing and didn't even want to acknowledge the damage done to it. He rested.

After a while, Starscream opened his optics and looked around for any sort of cover. He spotted what appeared to be some trees peeking around the corner of the mountain next to him. He trudged his way over to the trees, trying his best not to trip on anything.

Turning the corner, he saw a creek with a waterfall at the top. The water reflected off the ice and snow, creating a whimsical blue coloring in the creek. _It looks so clear,_ Starscream thought. He enjoyed the sight of the water flowing steadily over the ice and dirt. However, he almost jumped back when he caught sight of what was flowing in the creek. A dead fish, frozen solid, was swept by the current, followed by dozens more. Starscream was horrified. He hadn't had a whole lot of time to research organic life, but he knew enough to know that this was unnatural.

He stood up and backed away from the creek. The water turned an ugly brown color, littered with lifeless fish. He inspected the water carefully and realized there was a vast amount of oil in the creek. His optics followed the creek and saw that the origin of it began at the top of a mountain a few miles ahead. Upon further inspection, he realized it was the mountain he place the energon converter on.

"Yes...Yes! Primus, that's it!" He trudged through the snow towards the mountain.


	7. Chapter 7

_**CHAPTER SEVEN**_

Starscream ran to the foot of the mountain and stopped. He stared up at the top, but couldn't quite see the details. He didn't know where the solar converter was, but his memory told him that it was there. He was sure of it.

He snapped out of his thoughts and took a step, optics widened when he heard a loud crack under his pedes.

"Ack! No!" He plummeted down through a layer of ice and down into a dark tunnel. He screamed when his wings scraped against the walls as he fell. When he landed at the bottom, he couldn't see anymore. The cave was pitch black, wet, and void of sound. Starscream's spark beat fast. He looked around frantically for a way out.

Ice cracked from the tunnel above him slid down, nearly hitting the seeker. He crawled on his hands and knees to avoid colliding with the wet ceiling above. The stone floor was damp and cold to the touch. The cave ceiling got lower and lower as he crawled along, threatening to close him in, but he wanted out. The ice floor gave off almost an unnatural frozen aura that sunk into his core, causing him to shiver.

Seekers didn't belong underground, much less in cramped, wet caves. As he kept going to look for a way out, he kept his wings tucked against his back the best he could manage so he could navigate the tight space. He wondered if the cave eventually led through the heart of the mountain.

He shivered again and coughed into his servo, clearing his throat. He looked down and saw more black soot, only this time it was mixed with energon. He cringed and tried to ignore any internal injuries he may have sustained.

After crawling through the tunnel for quite some time, the seeker made his way to a clearing that opened up and gave him room to stand. Stretching his servos to relieve his frozen joints, Starscream let out a long sigh and walked the rest of the way through the tunnel. The path he chose didn't lead him out however, but only further down into the earth. With most of his instruments broken or disabled, Starscream hadn't even known he was going the wrong way for almost the entire day.

Blinking away tears threatening to fall down his face, he composed himself and headed back, taking hours to reach the clearing from before. He didn't want to keep going. He was ready to give up and give in to this frozen hell. The only reason he didn't was because he needed to save his best friend Skyfire.

Drained of energy and willpower, Starscream crawled his way out through a hole that seemed to have taken him close to the top of the mountain. When he took in his surroundings, he sighed in relief and trudged the rest of the way to the top where he had placed the energon converter. The snow had ceased falling once he arrived to what seemed like the top of the entire earth. He was above the clouds, at the peak, overlooking the white wasteland he walked through for days earlier.

The wind blew the snow up into his face and he shielded himself with a servo as he tried to scan the mountain top for the energon converter. It was quite dark out now, as it was a few hours before midnight. The converter was nowhere to be found.

Starscream looked around, frantic and afraid. His spark dropped when he had no visual on the energon converter. The wind picked up and batted against his frame. It was cold and dark, one of the combinations of nature Starscream had learned to despise.

The night sky was clouded and dark. Despite the harsh wind and snow, the earth seemed still and dead. Freezing and filled with dismay, Starscream sat on the top of the mountain, holding his knees. He sat under the overhang, which prevented the snow from piling on top of him.

With his scanner and other internal devices broken or deactivated, Starscream could only now rely on his five senses. If he judged it to be worth it.


	8. Chapter 8

_**CHAPTER EIGHT**_

After the unforgiving night under the overhang, Starscream awoke to find most of the mountain top clear and rocky grey, unlike the snow covered peak from last night. His entire frame ached and he could feel the wound on his wing start to sting again.

"Primus.. This is," He paused for a moment, standing up and glancing around, "...not what I wanted." He shook his helm, staring off into the desolate wasteland of ice and snow below.

It felt like this would be the time to give up. That's what Starscream thought he wanted to do, but something inside him told him that was wrong. He _had_ to live for Skyfire. He had to get back to Cybertron for his brothers.

With his shoulders slouched and a grim expression on his face, he trudged around the top of the mountain, still in search of the energon converter. He questioned a few times if Primus meant for this to happen to him. Was it punishment for trying to become a scientist? For him trying to become what he wasn't supposed to be?

A mech meant for something else, programmed with hundreds of others to do what he was told to do instead. Was this his punishment for disobeying that? He believed it was.

When Starscream gave up, an hour had passed. The sun was high in the middle of the sky, shining down and melting more snow off the top of the mountain peak. Birds flew in the distance at the bottom of the mountain, searching for their next meal. Starscream wondered when his next meal would be, if he were to even live long enough to get one.

Shaking his helm, he made his way down the cliff, as careful as he could. When some rocks came loose, Starscream's spark would drop and anxiety would rise in him once again. It was a long way down, and if he made a wrong move, he would surely die on impact. The fear of such is what made him so careful to begin with, as he hesitantly stepped over boulders and grabbed ledges with as much grace as he could.

After skidding down a ledge, Starscream spotted something reflect sunlight into his optics. He squinted and decided he needed a closer look to determine what it was. He made his way down as close as he could to the object, but there was a cliff gap in the pathway. The object was a straight shot across from where he was.

Taking in a deep breath, he sprung forward and just barely caught a hold of the ledge. Snow slid down the cliff and threatened to push Starscream off. He pulled himself up and coughed from exerting himself so much. It was hard on his charred intakes and he had to take a moment to recover before he investigated the reflective object.

More than halfway down the mountain, Starscream stepped up to the object buried in the snow and began wiping it off. After chipping some of the ice away, he identified it as the energon converter. For a brief moment, he smiled and gasped in excitement, but then realized something.

Only half of the converter was there.

Starscream's breathing quickened and he clenched his fists.

"W-Where…?" He listened to his own voice trail off. His vocals sounded… off, and were scratchy. He caught up with his thoughts and began frantically digging through the snow. _It has to be here!? It has to be!_

Sinking into the snow and digging around must have upset the mountain, because Starscream snapped his helm up to see an avalanche rolling towards him. His optics narrowed and he quickly decided to abort the rescue mission of digging up the converter. It was for his own safety, he argued, but deep within himself he felt guilt. How could he just abandon the converter like that? How was he going to save Skyfire?

He used his thrusters to make a jump back over to the side of the cliff he came from originally. The snow rolled past him down the mountain, taking the rest of the converter with it, burying it for good. Starscream watched it all, his spark hurting.

With tears threatening to fall from his face, he climbed the rest of the way down the mountain.


	9. Chapter 9

_**CHAPTER NINE**_

Starscream had found shelter for the night under an overhang at the bottom of the mountain. He huddled against the icy wall in an attempt to bring his core temperature up, but his efforts were futile. Miraculously, at this point, his auto-repair systems healed his wing up decently, despite the cold weather. Unfortunately, his intakes still felt clogged with soot, but Starscream had become used to that by now.

During that evening, the wind settled down and the snow was gently blown across the permafrosted earth. Starscream shivered, his core temperature low as ever. He managed to stand however and start walking.

He needed to get back to what remained of their camp. He had to get back to Skyfire again. He had never felt so lost and alone before, it was soul crushing.

He began walking that morning and wasn't even halfway back by the end of the day.

It took him two days to reach back where he thought the coordinates for the camp was. When he stepped over the snowy hill, he only saw a forest of trees suddenly lining the edge of the arctic land. This wasn't where the camp was?

"I… don't remember.." Starscream looked around, frozen with fear once again. He _thought_ this was where the camp was, he was _sure_ of it! But even so, Skyfire wasn't at the camp when he left him. Skyfire was a few miles out, as that is where they parted ways. He had to find him still, Skyfire could still be out there somewhere, but Starscream's equipment wasn't working.

"But.. where…?" Ice seemed to coat the casing of his spark, rendering him feeling empty and void. It was beginning to become a regular feeling for Starscream by this point.

He looked and looked for hours, but didn't find anything, not even a glimpse of metal. The sun was setting and the wind gently blew the dusting of snow across the frozen earth beneath the seeker's pedes. Starscream shivered, hugging himself and looking around with a grim expression.

Suddenly he tripped and fell on the hard ice, "Ack!" He looked back and saw something purple just barely visible out of the ground. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a crystal resembling energon.

"What is this…?" Starscream cracked a piece off and felt a new energy rush through his hand. He dropped it, fearful it might be harmful, but his servo felt recharged. He felt like it gave him strength again.

"How weird.." Picking up the shard again, he decided to pull out his scanner and examine the crystal. After a few tries of getting the scanner to actually work, the results came back.

"All the make ups of regular energon and more.. What is this?" He didn't understand. Was this the element he and Skyfire came to look for on this planet? It must have been, it had regenerative properties.

He shivered from the power flowing through him as he held the crystal. It was essentially just like the energon back home… so why not use it like such? Starscream calculated that he could use the "energon" to get him back home. He could finally go back, he didn't need the energon converter.

The purple energon wasn't filtered or dilluted, so Starscream had to directly insert it in order to convert it. He opened his cockpit compartment and placed a good handful of shards below his spark in the fuel chamber. Every time he did that, he noted that he felt sick afterwards, but since he would be in stasis, it wouldn't matter.

As Starscream was about to take off to leave, he stopped. He wanted to hit himself for forgetting about Skyfire… But he had no idea where the shuttle was. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Starscream looked around one last time, his expression full of disappointment.

Walking over to a nearby rock, he began using his fully charged null ray to write on it. He wasn't worried about fuel.

"I'm-" He choked, fresh tears began falling down his face, "I'm sorry, Skyfire…"

He took a step back from the rock, sniffling and trying to hold back the tears. Shaking his helm, Starscream took off from the earth and jetted past the speed of sound as he exited the planet's atmosphere.

The rock stood grounded, three times the size of Starscream, and read "Skyfire; Scientist and Friend." on display for millions of years to come, for everyone to read.


End file.
